Katie puts ‘Bridge to the sword in opener

Paul Hughes

Last year’s defeated SFC finalists St Loman’s, Mullingar set out their stall for the 2026 campaign with a resounding 22-point win over St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge at Dovida Lakepoint Park last Thursday evening.

These sides met in the 2025 semi-final, when the Blues also kept the ‘Bridge to just six points. This time, they doubled their goal tally and managed to do it without the services of Vicky Carr, who will miss some of the opening rounds through injury sustained on duty with Westmeath.

St Loman’s, already brimming with youthful talent, added the immensely talented Dowdall sisters, Megan and Holly, to their panel with a double transfer over the winter. Both made their debuts on Thursday evening, with Megan authoritatively filling the midfield role vacated by Carr, and Holly featuring as a sub.

Again, however, it was teenage sensation Katie Kilmurray who ran the show, kicking a sublime hat-trick in the space of 18 minutes and finishing the game with 3-5.

With Lucy McCartan also finding the net, St Loman’s led 4-5 to 0-3 at the break and as Kilmurray turned provider in the second half, Shannon Breslin chipped in with a brace of goals to complete the rout. In truth, the Blues could easily have scored a lot more.

The Mullingar girls, on top in all sectors, were never troubled from start to finish and while it’s still early days, Ciaran Kilmurray’s troops put down quite the marker.

The hosts burst out of the traps and had the ball in the net inside the opening ten seconds when Kilmurray combined with Shannon Breslin before rattling the net with a powerful shot.

Amy Cully, Rochfortbridge’s best player on the day, pulled one back with a free, and the visitors’ best hope for a goal came in the tenth minute, when Elizabeth Carey got in behind the home defence but was pickpocketed by Katie Dunne.

Meanwhile, the St Loman’s response was devastating, with 3-4 in the space of 12 minutes. Kilmurray kicked two lovely points either side of her second goal on 13 minutes – a terrific left-footed shot after a fine solo and assist from Lucy McCartan.

After Evie Kilmurray hit the upright for the Blues with a handpassed effort, Jayne Charles made it 2-3 to 0-1 after 16 minutes after a neat passing move. A third goal almost presented itself when Katie Kilmurray picked out Shannon Breslin in space, but Breslin blasted over the bar.

The inevitable goal number three then arrived courtesy of a quality finish from Lucy McCartan (18 minutes) and only seconds later, Charles teed up Kilmurray to complete her hat-trick with a close-range shot.

St Mary’s, unbowed, responded with a brace of points thanks to Amy Cully and Jenny Judge. On 25 minutes, however, St Loman’s could easily have had a fifth goal when Ellen Kilmurray picked out McCartan with a superb ball, and the centre forward drew a fine save out of Rochfortbridge’s Molly Syron.

Kilmurray added another point on 27 minutes to ensure St Loman’s led by 14 at the short whistle.

Cully opened the second-half scoring with a lovely point but the Blues were in no mood for taking the foot off the gas, and Katie (two frees) and Evie Kilmurray found their range before the latter fed Shannon Breslin for the fifth goal on 42 minutes.

Five minutes later, Katie was the architect of the sixth, with Breslin doing well to evade some last-ditch challenges to net from close range.

Cully (a free) added a fifth point for St Mary’s with 50 minutes gone, while the first and only setback for St Loman’s came in the form of an arm injury for Caoimhe Kilmurray.

Debutant Holly Dowdall took to the field and ably deputised.

Six goals could easily have been seven or eight, with Katie Kilmurray handpassing off the crossbar after an exquisite move and Shannon Breslin agonisingly missing out on her own hat-trick.

With the Blues’ hunger for scores insatiable, on 54 minutes, Lucy McCartan singlehandedly pressed St Mary’s into a defensive error and kicked over the black spot, while Evie Kilmurray tacked on a late free to take St Loman’s into double figures on points.

In between, Westmeath captain Fiona Coyle found the target as the ‘Bridge looked for some late gains to take some of the dirty look off the scoreboard.

However, the closest we came to another goal was a near seventh from St Loman’s, when Jayne Charles crashed a powerful shot into Molly Syron’s side netting.

Scorers

St Loman’s: K Kilmurray 3-5 (0-2f), S Breslin 2-1, Lucy McCartan 1-1, Evie Kilmurray 0-2 (1f), J Charles 0-1. St Mary’s: A Cully 0-4 (2f), J Judge and F Coyle 0-1 each.

St Loman’s, Mullingar

Jane McKenna; Lara McCartan, Muireann Scally, Aoibhe Hogan; Niamh McGinley, Katie Dunne, Ellen Kilmurray; Caoimhe Kilmurray, Megan Dowdall; Eleanor Corcoran, Lucy McCartan, Jayne Charles; Evie Kilmurray, Shannon Breslin, Katie Kilmurray. Sub used: Holly Dowdall for C Kilmurray (inj., 47).

St Mary’s, Rochfortbridge

Molly Syron; Caoimhe Darcy, Jen Whelehan, Keeley Gavin; Eva McQuaid, Aoibhinn Berry, Catríona Dunne; Niamh McDermott, Fiona Coyle; Amy Cully, Elizabeth Carey, Kacey Geoghegan; Jenny Judge, Abbie Nugent, Lisa Cully. Subs used: Becky Nolan for Nugent (42), Ellie Syron for Gavin (42), Clodagh Cully for Geoghegan (44), Eimear Hanlon for McQuaid (47), Jane Carey for Darcy (55).

Referee

Barry Nea (Killucan).